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Michael Shermer: The pattern behind self-deception
As an expert on debunking myths and urban legends, Michael Shermer understands the intricate psychology behind why people put their faith in everything from UFOs to dowsing rods to 2012 doomsday "prophecies." He posits that humanity's ingrained need to believe in something and uncanny ability to recognize patterns (even ones that don't necessarily exist) leads it to engage in such amazing displays of self-deception. Quite a few studies from many different sources support this insightful claim. Mastersdegree.net Watch the Ted Talk here
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Laurie Santos: A monkey economy as irrational as ours
This lecture blends evolutionary biology, genetics and psychology together into one intriguing glimpse at yet another bizarrely familiar intersection between human and monkey behavior. In spite of humanity's vast intelligence, many of the same quirks and irrationalities also crop up in its simian relatives (and ancestors). For example, monkeys do possess their own unique economic system — and Laurie Santos points out that some of their least effective patterns parallel the decisions that led to today's financial crisis. Mastersdegree.net Watch the Ted Talk here
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Daniel Goleman on compassion
Daniel Goleman's main thesis is clear and simple — humanity needs compassion in order to survive. He explores issues of brain and social science alike to understand why some people just don't reach out to help others in need. Though an incredibly complex study, one of the many facets he notes is the correlation between willingness to display empathy and compassion and time constraints. Mastersdegree.net Watch the Ted Talk here
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Impatient? Then Your Credit Probably Stinks
TIME: Were you sitting and drumming your fingers while waiting for this page to load? Do you think instant coffee takes too long? If you’re impatient, more than just your blood pressure will suffer: You’re also liable to have poor credit, according to a new study. Stephan Meier and Charles Sprenger, professors at Columbia University and Stanford University, respectively, collaborated on research that will be published in the Journal of Psychological Science next month. The key finding of their paper, “Time Discounting Predicts Creditworthiness,” is that people who demand instant gratification pay for their gotta-have-it-now attitude in the form of lower FICO scores.
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How to Save an Unproductive Day in 25 Minutes
The Wall Street Journal: How often have you had a work day when, as mid-afternoon races toward late-afternoon, you realize that you haven't really gotten anything done? Painfully often, if you're like many of the professionals we talked to for a recent study on everyday work life through Harvard Business School. Not only do unproductive days like this detract from the success of your projects, your team and your organization; they can endanger your own well-being. We discovered that nothing makes people feel happier and more engaged at work than making meaningful progress on something they care about. We call that the progress principle.
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Virginia Psychological Association Fall Convention
The 2012 Virginia Psychological Association Fall Convention will be held October 24-26 in Wintergreen, VA. For more information visit http://www.vapsych.org/cde.cfm?event=312055
